this morning on "world news now" -- community in crisis. the outpouring of emotion last night in aurora, colorado, after friday's movie theater massacre. >> detectives uncover more disturbing details about the gunman just before his case is expected to go to court. it's monday, july 23rd. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good monday morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> i'm paula faris. there is so much pain in aurora, colorado this morning and across the country. the tragedy there is putting the gun control debate front and center. we were talking about the second amendment. >> a big one. two debates. one was going to begun control. two is going to be does our

violent entertainment culture have an influence on people any behavior. we heard lots of discussion on the two points over the weekend. you knew the conversations were going to come. they have for good reason. also this half-hour, new question as but a cover-up in the fukushima nuclear disaster. were workers there forced to lie about the danger. a different kind of meltdown. more than 20 people are burned when motivational guru tony robbins convinces them to walk on 2,000 degree coals. something he has done at his seminars. obviously this time it backfired a bit. >> have you ever done that? or would you do that? >> my husband was supposed to go to one of the seminars. >> you look his feet? >> i like his feet. nice, smooth, soft feet. >> that's enough. we do get to serious news on this monday morning -- they were remembering the dead last night in colorado. reading their names, and also even, releasing balloons. >> president obama was among those trying to provide comfort

to the families left behind. our coverage begins with abc's brandi hitt. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, rob, paula. another high lly emotional day r the victims and their families. a prayer vigil was held and president obama was also here to share hugs and tears. heartbreak and sadness filled the aurora municipal center as thousands gathered to remember the 12 people killed in friday's movie theater massacre. >> one day, lord, we know that our city will march back into that theater. we'll claim that theater back, father god, because it doesn't belong to terrorists it belongs to the city of aurora. >> reporter: president obama spent two hours with the victims' families and tried to comfort the community. >> i confessed to them that words are always inadequate in these kinds of situations. >> reporter: during this time of mourning abc news has obtained exclusive video of the shooting suspect. >> hello, i'm james.

>> reporter: taken six years ago when james holmes spoke at a science camp. sources tell abc news the automatic rifle holmes allegedly used jammed during the shooting spree but he had extended clips for other weapons that held up to 40 rounds. holmes also recent lead applied for a membership at the private gun rage but was turned away because the owner thought he was "creepy." aurora's mayor is concerned the death toll could rise. >> we saw some people yesterday who, who are still terribly injured. and may not make it. >> reporter: holmes will make his first court appearance in the morning. we are told it is brief and he will not enter a plea. rob, paula, back to you. >> thanks to brandi, the make shift memorial to victims keeps on growing as friends and strangers alike as they add flowers, american flags and personal mementos on the site in the shadows of the century 16 movie theater, a cross has been placed for each of the 12 victims. >> same guy made the crosses

that made them for columbine. >> he came back from aurora, illinois, where he was traveling from. also, james holmes is being remembered at his hometown church in san diego. his pastor says that holmes was a young man with goals and a plan for his life. he says, holmes cam from your typical all-american family. the faithful also left words of condolence to the victims' families in colorado, the pastor also noting that he never really saw james mingling with any of the other youngsters. >> perfect segue. criminal experts are trying to put together a very different picture of james holmes. they're trying to exactly understand the motivations of the suspect after the shooting and also that potential disaster that he left behind in his apartment. our coverage continues now with abc's reporter. >> processing channels are being sped up. >> reporter: how could a smart, young, ph.d. candidate morph into a mass murderer? authorities here are trying to answer that question. >> we wanted to show you.

>> reporter: we showed the video to the aurora police psychologist, john nicoletti. >> apparently rock, paper scissors is a professional sport. >> a very bright person, articulate, organized in this thoughts. very smart. >> reporter: he says all the booby traps, that stockpile of weapon suggests james holmes did not have a sudden break with reality. he didn't snap. >> this is a proactive attack behavior. >> reporter: this was premeditated? >> yes. >> reporter: he thought it through? >> thought it through. planned it. had weapons of choice. >> reporter: this was no suicide mission. >> he didn't act like he meant to die. >> reporter: how so? >> he has enough protective gear. he surrenders right away. >> reporter: other forensic psychologists agree it is unusual. at columbine and virginia tech the pattern was different. >> there really is often, are two phases. the first one is murder, the second one is suicide. >> reporter: in this case the second act was potentially more

killing. what was on his mind? >> we may never know. >> you never really get a sufficient why answer. >> reporter: the police psychologist whose expertise goes all right way back to columbine put it this way -- "only the shooter knows for sure. and for now he is not saying." david wright, abc news, aurora, colorado. >> earlier yesterday, cbs' "face the nation" the aurora police chief said i have heard one morsel of information about a relationship that may or may not be true. kind off lewding that awful this may be the fallout of a soured relationship. >> they're trying to understand, was it a relationship, the chief hinted at or was the idea he had trouble in school, dropped out of the ph.d. program. he became increasingly,age tatd, depond ent, unstable in the weeks leading up to the shooting. this was months in the planning. you do have to wonder,

all-american boyhood in san diego. everyone said he was academically gifted. very bright. good family. they said, the police chief said he had drinking buddies. go out, be seen in local bars. neighbors said he would look down a lot. not really engage anybody. and everyone is, don't jump to too many conclusions. important legally if they find out he is schizophrenic or depressed that would not prevent him from being declared insane. if he was skits frin-- >> sure you have heard this was premeditated. he ordered 50 packages over four months. clearly not like he just snapped. there was something, a continual build-up. >> absolutely. stay with abc news throughout the morning as we bring you latest developments from colorado. we'll return live right there to aurora on "america this morning" and "gma" late tire day and explore the issue of gun control. coming up later in this

half-hour. headlines from overseas. rebel fighters in syria launched an offensive to capture the embattled nation's largest city. amateur video appears to show opposition fighters engaged in street battles. human rights observers say july is shaping up to be the deadliest month of the conflict with nearly 2,800 people killed so far. the numbers are going up. over 17,000. the withdrawal of u.s. troops from afghanistan has hit the halfway point. general john allen, the top commander of the, u.s. and nato troops rather, says afghan security forces are taking on more responsibility. but he says they're not up to speed on planning and executing operations. the coalition's combat mission in afghanistan is set to end at the close of 2014. a new investigation is under way this morning at the nuclear plant that was crippled by last year's devastating tsunami in japan. for the first time, japanese labor officials are looking into reports of a cover-up at

fukushima. subcontractors at the plant are accused of forcing workers to underreport their exposure to radiation. so they could stay on the job longer. and penn state's prestigious football program may never be the same again. the ncaa prepares to issue stiff sanctions this morning. the statue honoring joe paterno was hauled away yesterday. some what covertly. after a scathing report that top administrators, covered up child sex allegations against jerry sandusky. according to espn, penn state is expected to be banned from bowl games for more than a year and lose several scholarships. >> ncaa will make the anouncement, 9:00 a.m. eastern time today. also, just two weeks after he was injured in a jet ski accident, the stepson of pop star usher has died. 11-year-old, kyle glover, passed away in an atlanta hospital, taken off life support. glover the son of usher's ex-wife was floating on an inner

tube when run over on a jet ski by a family friend. the investigation continues as condolences pour in from justin bieber, russell simmons and celebrities as well. bizarre story that took some headlines this morning, the sheriff's department is trying to unravel an increasingly bizarre family drama involving michael jackson any mother katherine. investigators say they have located mrs. jackson and she is safe. over the weekend though, paris jackson, michael's daughter, tweeted she had not seen her grandmother and guardian for a week and was unable to reach her by phone. there was speculation mrs. jackson is trying to stay away from day growing family feud over her son's will. they say she could be in the state of arizona with one of her daughters trying to get some rest and get away from the drama. >> yes, five of his siblings, michael jackson's siblings are fighting over the will, reportedly left out. he had reportedly told them, the lawyers, that were drafting up the will weren't to beep trusted.

>> the mom doesn't want a part of all that. she is getting away. >> man getting good weather out there in arizona. a look at your weather, right? >> nice, nice. >> hot with severe storms in the northeast. showers from houston, new orleans, and the heat wave is going to continue in the plains. upper 90s, denver to dallas. 103, phoenix. 80s in miami, new york and boston. the city of new orleans is short 117-story hotel this morning. a place you have probably been. >> i'm sure. old palace hotel on canal street was blown up with 400 tons of ex-plea sieves. the implosion was quite a site to see. the city was watching and left a huge plume of smoke over the crescent city. >> once the debris is cleared away a much-needed medical center will go up where the hotel was. people can never get enough of video like that. >> people like to see things blow up. a huge biomedical corridor city needs. progress there. coming up, the political question that could surface

after friday's tragedy in colorado. >> serious questions after a stunt involving hot coals turned pretty painful. you are watching "world news now." ♪ ♪ hot hot hot ♪ what to do >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by united health care. big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i looked at my options. then i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. [ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call now and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, it helps pick up some of what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you thousands in out-of-pocket costs.

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side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as $15 at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta. back to our top story. suspected colorado gunman, james holmes, purchased four guns at local shops and more than 6,000 rounds of ammo on the internet in the past 60 days. >> friday's shooting reignited the gun control debate as abc's clayton sandell reports. >> reporter: america is once again, confronting its long love affair with guns. in a country where gun dealers outnumber mcdonald's restaurants

nine to one. consensus is a moving target. this latest massacre is reigniting the debate between gun control advocates and those who think more guns. >> everybody ought to own firearms. >> reporter: equals safety. >> got to talk him. that simple. if you are there and the guy is going to create a crime he is going to hurt people, then someone needs to stop him. >> reporter: on the campaign trail there has been zero appetite for new gun laws from president obama or mitt romney. >> i'll protect the 2nd amendment. i have guns myself. >> reporter: who as massachusetts governor once signed an assault weapons ban. >> this really is an enormous problem for the country and up to the two presidential candidates. >> reporter: a majority of americans believe enforcing existing gun laws is a better option than passing new ones. and colorado's governor said that even the toughest gun laws would have made little difference here. >> this guy was, was diabolical, right. he would have found explosives, he would have found something else, some sort of poisonous

gas, something to create this horror. >> reporter: this man wears the shoes his son daniel had on the day he was murdered at columbine high school. the now expired federal weapons ban would have outlawed the rifle, james holmes allegedly used in his attack. >> it is not just the assault rifle, the magazine that can hold, 30, 50, 100 rounds that make it easy for people like this. >> reporter: that assault weapons ban expired in 2004. despite the latest mass shooting there is little political will on either side to bring it back. clayton sandal, abc news, aurora, colorado. >> the facebook question of the day -- >> should the aurora shooting make gun control an issue in the presidential race? log on to wnnfans.com to let us know what you think. we will try to get to some responses. especially tomorrow. certain to be a hot topic. >> and clayclayton, the big poi no political will to get anything done.

in light of this. we can talk until we are blue in the face. capitol hill will not act. that ends things there in a certain way. >> uh-huh. >> we'll be back with more right

♪ hot hot hot >> welcome back, everyone. motivational speaker tony robbins likes it hot, hot, hot. nothing a person can't overcome, and offers followers a chance to walk over hot coals to prove it. no thank you. >> more than 20 people were burned when they took the suggestion. abc's dan harris take is a look at what happened. >> settle for less than you can be or share or give or create. >> reporter: tony robbins is an a list motivational speaker, alpha male of the self help gurus and his signature event is the firewalk. >> here we go! >> reporter: for past 30 years,

he has encouraged tens of thousands to walk on hot coals to break through their fears. even oprah did it recently as seen in this clip from oprah's next chapter on the o.w.n. network. >> i will not let you get hurt. >> reporter: thursday at a tony robbins' unleash the power within event in san jose, california, 21 people were treated for burns and at least three of them went to the hospital with second or third degree burns. >> second degree we have some blisteri blistering. third degree goes beyond blistering. >> reporter: one witness says he heard screams of agony. other attendees said they had no problem at all. >> amazing what your mind can do when you get yourself into the right state. >> look into the power of yourself and focus on walking on the fire. >> reporter: the notion that the fire walk requires any special mind state has been repeatedly debunked even on "mythbusters."

turns out the coals are not good conductors of heat. if you walk fast enough you won't get hurt. >> you are not touching the coals very long. >> like a carnival trick. if you have people walking fast enough, get the temperature just right. your feet aren't on the goals long enough at the hottest point to get burned. >> "we have been safely providing this experience for more than three decades." fire officials say robbins had a permit and emergency personnel standing by but they also say they do not recommend doing this. >> i don't know that i would walk across hot coals. >> dan harris, abc news, new york. >> they paid quite a bit of money to go to the seminar, $600 to $2,000. my husband i mentioned was supposed to go to one of the seminars. when we moved from chicago to new york we got the money back. he never went. >> that's good. his feet are better off for it. >> his feet are beautiful. how did it feel, rob? >> felt good. burn those bunions right off.

calluses. it was great. >> your sixth toe? >> took care of a lot of stuff. it was smelly but worth it. we know a place where tossing and turning

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like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions, such as tongue or throat swelling, occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as $15 at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta.

welcome back, everybody. never pass up an opportunity to share some good news about my adopted hometown of new orleans, louisiana. apparently, new orleans is at the very top of the list of fastest growing u.s. cities. of course it will be seven years this august since hurricane katrina. >> ever since you left. >> people can go back. population of new orleans shot up by 9.4%, standing over 360,000. still only 80% of the population since katrina, when city was at 452,000. still good news. city is coming back. also added 7,000 jobs in the last year or so. great news for city. in terms of other cities growing

quickly as well -- boston, plano, texas, denver, raleigh north carolina, top five. good news for new orleans, keep on coming back. >> great city there. been there twice. loved it. >> big easy, nothing like it. >> food is great. >> yes. >> there is a physiological explanation for men and women out there, after you have your relations, men physiologically want to fall asleep. >> grandma. when you have relations. >> scientists -- they scanned men's brains before and during an orgasm. >> this brain. >> that brain, not the other one. the thinking area shuts down. they say men do need to sleep after sex because it is designed to switch off at that point a companied by a surge of chemicals which could have a powerful sleep inducing effect. for women it is the opposite. which is why, women want more. and guys are like i need to go to bed. you have an excuse now, men.

>> thank god. i need a little sandwich, nap, see you in a couple hours. later. >> and don't talk so much, right? >> shh. and there is a french guy, crazy stunt people, something i have never seen before. a custom made roller suit. it has 31 rollerblade-like wheels on the torso, back and major joints. he can travel, 70 miles an hour. did a crazy event going down these mountain roads, literally using his body to steer. and going up and down. >> what is that? >> rollerblade wheels. what he is doing here. 20 incarnations of the suit. designed it back, years ago, a graduation project. the guy is a daredevil on his body armor roller suit, crazy. >> in oklahoma city, police officers were going to give a 45-year-old, they were going to cite him, they said he needed $200 for a permit. why do i need to got a job.

he makes

this morning on "world news now" -- heartfelt tribute. remembering the victims killed in friday's movie massacre in colorado. >> the president offers his prayers while investigators uncover disturbing new leads. it's monday, july 23rd. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good monday morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> i'm paula faris. we're going to take you to aurora live for the very latest as we remember each and every one of the 12 victims who died in that movie theater massacre. each of them has a memorable story to tell. and, that's what we are all trying to perpetuate right now is their stories, not the name and not the story of the gunman.

and that's what these families desperately want is let everybody walk away knowing who these 12 people were. >> absolutely. absolutely. friday as we sat here and the news broke. and we launched the network coverage that morning. all we knew was the number noucht ynow you know the stories and lives. in their 20s. one 6-year-old girl one of the victims. heartbreaking all around. heroism emerged. we'll get into all of that during the course of the showai profoundly sad weekend around the country. you can feel it. as we look at the other major headlines. iowa investigators believe that two cousins missing since friday the 13th may be alive afterall. the latest questions and clues for detectives. before we get to those stories, while our hearts are broken, our community is not. those words, shared last night by the mayor of aurora, colorado. >> part of a vigil for those who died and those left still struggling with disbelief after

the shooting. abc's brandi hitt in aurora with the latest on the investigation. brand spichlt, what its the latest right now? >> reporter: good morning, rob, paula. it was just highly emotional evening for the victims and their families here. a prayer vigil held last night. and president obama was also here to share a lot of hugs and also tears. ♪ heartbreak and sadness filled the aurora municipal center as thousands gathered to remember the 12 people killed in friday's movie theater massacre. >> one day, we will march into the theater and claim the theater back, father god. it doesn't belong to terrorists it belongs to the city of aurora. >> president obama spent two hours with the victims' families and tried to comfort the community. >> i confessed to them that words are always inadequate in these kinds of situations.

>> reporter: during this tombimf mourning, abc news obtained video of the suspect. it was taken six years ago when holmes spoke at a science camp. sources tell abc news the automatic rifle holmes allegedly used jammed during the shooting spree but he had extended clips for other weapons that held up to 40 rounds. holmes also recently applied for a membership tat this private gun range. but he was turned away because the owner thought he was, quote, creepy. a police psychologist says when you put it altogether, including his booby trapped apartment. he doesn't believe holmes had a break with reality. >> premeditated, yeah. >> reporter: he thought it through? >> thought it through. planned it. had weapons of choice. >> reporter: well, right now, holmes is being held in isolation. he is supposed to make his first court appearance tomorrow morning. rob, paula. >> brandi, speaking of the court appearance. he is expected to travel from jail to the courthouse. and then underground tuvennnel.

he won't be accessible to eyes, ears, video cameras. what do we expect to hear from that courthouse appearance? >> paula, we found out there is a slight possibility that holmes may not appear in court. his attorney could waive that and try to move forward. if he does appear in court we're told he will not make a plea. this will be very quick. he will be read his rights and schedule a future court appear ans the next two, three days. >> expected to be a brief hearing, brandi, from the vigil, emotions are raw. you can feel it in the crowd. what stuck out to you last night from what you saw and heard? >> i think for everyone, it was when they announced each of the victims' names allowed and then there was a round of applause. the crowd seemed to pull together at that moment. i have to tell you when they exited there was a massive crowd outside the theater behind me. many of them holding gigantic signs that said, we will heal. and also massive signs, thank the first responders and firefighters, police officers, who likely saved more lives when

they arrived here late or early friday morning. >> we keep hearing it could have been so much, so much worse that in actually was. is that currently a working crime scene behind you still at the theater, brandi? >> yeah, there is, paula. the crime scene tape is still up. investigators finished up their investigation inside the theater where the shooting took place today. tomorrow, the defense will have an opportunity to go in, take a look around. take notes for a future trial. and it is expected that the theater will be handed back over to the owners on wednesday. when it reopens for business that is still unknown. >> thanks to abc's brandi hittt brandi, we want to welcome you to the abc news team. don't think we have had a chance to officially welcome you, rob and i, to "world news now." welcome to the team. >> thank you. thank you so much. it is my pleasure. this is a wonderful opportunity. >> thank you, brandi. >> thank you. >> our coverage of course from aurora, colorado does not end here.

we'll remember the 12 victims later in this half-hour. for the very latest developments we'll take you live to aurora again live coming up on "america this morning" and later on "good morning america" as well. we're following a developing story from south texas on this monday morning. at least 11 people have died after their truck veered off the highway and slammed into two large trees. another 12 were injured in the accident. it all happened last night in a rural area just about 70 miles outside of corpus christi. the driver was ejected. but apparently survived. border patrol agents were sent to the scene to see if the victims had entered the country. penn state can expect tough penalties for turning a blind eye to child sex abuse allegations. the ncaa will detail the punishment a day after the university cart add way a statue of legendary head coach joe paterno. more from david kerley. >> reporter: behind a blue tarp

of shame, the statue of paterno, who built powerhouse penn state was covered in plastic and haul add way as the university deals with the stain of scandal. >> we are letting the haters run the university. >> to a lot of people it symbolizes the wrong things. >> reporter: that's what the new university president said, that leaving the statue would be, quote, a recurring wound, an obstacle to healing, and a lightning rod of controversy. when joe paterno died. we watched as the statue became the gathering place to mourn. but that was before the revelations. that paterno had been told years earlier his defensive coach jerry sandusky was sexually assaulting boys. though she voted to convict sandusky, one of the jurors said the statue should have stayed. >> why are we taking something down, we don't have all 100% all the facts. >> reporter: all this before penn state's football program is hit by what many are calling extraordinary corrective and punitive measures. our sister network, espn learned

that penn state is expected to be banned from bowl games for more than one year, lose several scholarships, a strong message from the head of the ncaa. these penalties are remarkable. because the ncaa rules don't deal with what happened at penn state. the cover-up of a sex abusers crimes. the head of the ncaa asked for authority so he could crack down on penn state. david kerley, abc news, washington. >> and the president, to me, almost, we knew the statute was going to come down, the president did try to strike a balance. left the library, named after paterno. that they didn't touch. the statue came down. they tried to soothe the blow a little bit. >> the statue is going to be held in storage. they don't know what they're going to do with it. ncaa president says he has never seen anything as egregious, not expecting the death penalty would have banned the football program for a year. there is a lot of worries in the area. football is just a huge part of the economics. they say that if it is hincaa

penalty the penalty could mean $30 million p. significant economic impact. the football program generates so much money. >> they will make an example of penn state. ernie els, staged an amazing come back in the british open. starting six shots behind and finishing seven under for the victory. he had lots of help from australian, australian adam scott who blew a four-shot lead on his final four holes. ouch. >> unbelievable. >> ecls has been struggling falling out of the top 50 end of last year. nothing like a comeback. looking good. bradley wiggins the first british cyclist to win the tour de france. clinched the yellow jersey winning the final time trial. next up the olympics in london. where he is a favorite to take home the gold. >> okay. one final sports highlight. you probably won't see on espn.

well, you might, actually. top ten. an all-female foot race on the streets of belgrade. >> these racers were all brides to be, running for the grand prize, an all expenses paid wedding. not a bad deal. one requirement was they had to wear bridal gowns. may have taken off their times. awe one competitor, she didn't win, her wedding was all. the runaway brides. >> hopefully the get you to the altar. don't run away from that, ladies. caterer is already paid. coming up after the break, life saving advice, we should say, from a trust xd peed expert. >> huh ow to survive the unthinkable. when push comes to shove. you're watching "world news now." now that's a clean mouth.

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welcome back, everyone. the bizarre case of drew peterson returns to the spotlight late tire day in a chicago courtroom. as jury selection is expected to begin. the former suburban chicago police officer, he is charged with drowning his third wife, her death had originally been ruled an accident. until peterson's fourth wife, stacy disappeared. that's when investigators reopened the case. stacy's bed has never been found. also this morning, a surprising development in the case of the missing cousins in iowa. investigators now think the girls were abducted but are still alive. here's abc's alex perez with more. >> reporter: nine days after elizabeth collins and lara cook vanished authorities make a stunning anouncment. >> we believe these girls are alive. >> reporter: investigators would not elaborate why they believe the girls are alive but say they're hopeful. >> we are not discouraged by the passage of time since their

disappearance. >> reporter: the case has been reclassified as an abduction and authorities say they're pursuing persons of interest. after initially cooperating with police, the parents, misty and dan say they're taking legal advice and will no long ear lou police to interrogate them. >> law enforcement has not received total cooperation from all family and close friends. we feel there is someone out there that has pertinent information about the girls' whereabouts. >> reporter: misty and dan, who are separated have both been convicted of felony drug charges and spent time behind bars. dan out on bond awaiting trial on a recent drug charge. prosecutors have asked he be put on pretrial court supervision. could something in their past have caused this? >> i can't rule that out, you know. i want every stone unturned. >> reporter: the girls disappeared after leaving for a bike ride friday, july 13th. the last person that reported seeing the girls was here, just

across the street from the evansdale police department. he says he was watering his lawn when the girls rode by on their bicycles and waved hi. then came the discovery, about a mile from the girls' house. authorities found their bicycles here, on this trail, near meyers lake. fbi dive teams have searched the lake but no sign of the girls. the community here holding on to hope, praying they'll be found alive. alex perez, abc news, evansdale, iowa. they're now offering a $50,000 reward to anybody who can give them information leading to these girls being found alive. >> glimmer of hope there they could still be alive. great to hear. coming up next, we are returning to our top story, of course the movie theater tragedy in aurora, colorado. >> and each of the 12 victims killed there leaves a legacy. you are watching "world news now." ♪

welcome back, everybody. we are learning a lot more about the 12 people killed in that shooting in colorado. >> they were from all walks of life, many of them, as you mentioned earlier, young, young people. the youngest just 6 years old. abc's cecilia vega tells us who they were. >> reporter: there are so many faces, so many stories, lives lost simply because they went to see a movie, the oldest, 51, gordon cowden, a real else state appraiser who took his two teens with him that night. they escaped. the youngest victim, just 6 years old, little veronica moser-sullivan. her mother shot in the neck, clings to life. her family broke the news about what happened to her daughter. >> she was just such a wonderful little girl, you know? so sad she had to have life take any way from her so early.

>> reporter: there are stories of courage, people who lost lives by saving others. jon blunk threw his girlfriend on the floor to shield her. matt mcquinn dove on top of his girlfriend and took the bullet instead. >> matt did what a man is supposed to do. >> reporter: alex teves finished grad school. a.j. boik out of high school with dreams of life as a art teacher. alex sullivan had big plans. he turned 27 on friday, posting on his facebook. going to be the best birthday ever. micayla medek was there too. she worked as a sandwich maker. rebecca wingo, mother of two, spent 11 years in the air force, became fluent in mandarin and was a translator. jesse childress in the air force, a reservist. he died a hero, driving in front of a friend, female service member. >> just the kind of guy you want

on your team. joy john larimer's team wouldn't leave him behind dragging out his body after he leapt over a seat to save his girlfriend. there is one story that defies the odds. a story with a lesson for all of us. jessica ghawi, an aspiring sports journalist, ironically just a few weeks ago eggs scaped another mass shooting in a toronto mall. so many of these victims were just starting out in life, most of them were only in their 20s out for a night of fun. now for their families, the next chapter is planning a funeral. cecilia vega, aurora, colorado. officials and people there in aurora, saying, let's not, let's try to minimize the suspect's name, make this about the victims, not give him publicity he was seeking. the 6-year-old girl who was killed, her mother, just 25 years old is pregnant was shot in the abdomen. in addition to losing her little

girl, she may lose her unborn child. we didn't hear the condition of the baby. heartbreak all around. also heroes who emerged as well. we'll be right back with more. ♪

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face every day with puffs softness. back to our top story, and the search for escape plans during the unthinkable. >> that's right whether in a theater or mall, security experts say being aware of your surroundings and how to get out is key. abc's ron claiborne has some expert advice. >> i was down on the ground. i did not know what to do. >> on the way out -- >> reporter: these are the split second decisions, movie-goers faced in aurora, colorado. we wanted to find out what you should do if you are caught in the line of fire of an active shooter. >> whether you are a 7-year-old child or a 70-year-old grandmother or grandfather, there are things that you can do

that can increase your chances of surviving. >> reporter: should you hide in place or make a run for it? according to eric greiton, norm former navy seal and trainer, flee if possible. if evacuation is not possible. hide. if you are hiding behind a cardboard box. you might be hidden. this doesn't provide cover. it will not stop a bullet. get behind something like this, this can stop a bullet. what if you are trapped in plain sight of the shooter should you attack or play dead. like jennifer seeinger did during friday's shooting. >> i just dived forward into the, into the ground in the aisle. i told everybody just play dead. lay still. people have survived by playing dead. but he warns it doesn't always work. >> i do not suggest playing dead. if you are really close to an active shooter you want to be an active survivor. if you are an active survivor with people around you. your chances of surviving are much higher. >> reporter: as a last resort,

the department of homeland security recommends attacking the shooter by acting as aggressively as possible against him or her, throwing items and improvising weapons and yelling. and perhaps, the most difficult question of all, should you stay behind to help others or save yourself? there have been many heroes who risked their own lives to help other people, but he says if you are in imminent danger you should get yourself to safety and call law enforcement. ron claiborne, abc news, new york. >> great advice. god willing, none of us are ever in that situation. but i have always gone over in my head. i thought i would play dead. >> i am sure it is good advice. i get all that. in a moment like that you don't know what you would do until the moment strikes. it is possible to have too much of a plan ahead of time. such a chaotic frightening situation. how do you know what you will do? >> let's not live in fear. >> life has to go on. it does.

this morning on "world news now" -- suspect's past. a disturbing and exclusive look into james holmes' background and what may have led to friday's colorado massacre. >> all of this as holmes is set to face a judge for the first time in just a matter of hours. it's monday, july 23rd. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good monday morning, everybody, i'm paula faris. >> i'm rob nelson. we'll get to the latest clues and evidence in the colorado investigation in just a moment. and why investigators now say the massacre, believe it or not, could have been a lot worse. we have learned so much more in the last 48 hours about how the gun jammed. and had it not, the death toll could have been a lot higher than it was.

so as bad as it is, it really could have been a lot worse. >> which is almost incomprehensible to put your mind around it could have been worse it was already so horrific. >> the worst mass shooting in the country's history. first the statue of joe paterno came down now penn state is braced for a severe punishment that will be handed down today from the ncaa. >> watching that footage i wonder how ahead of time, penn state planned for yesterday being the day to take the statue down. one, because the ncaa punishments coming down and a day the media was preoccupied with the story in colorado. did they take advantage of that to get it down as inconspicuously as possible, maybe it wouldn't have be, how planned was it? the timing of it, i find it interesting. >> i don't think there was any coincidence there. later, new proof that teens love the "twilight." a big awards night for the saga, racking up the surfboards in "the skinny."

we'll have details on all that. we begin with a developing story out of south texas. >> at least 11 people are dead after their pickup truck ran off the road into two large trees. the truck which was equipped with an extended cab was packed with 23 people including children at the time of that crash. the accident happened last night in a rural area. federal agents were called to the scene to see if the victim had just crossed the border into texas. >> they say 22 people were piled into the ford f-250 i believe. now to the colorado shooting, the suspect james holmes is due in court in a few hours. we are learning much more about his background. >> last night the victims of the shooting were remembered in a community vigil, really emotional event. the president was also there to pay his respects as well. abc's david muir is following the investigation from right there in aurora. >> reporter: the first video yet of the alleged gunman james holmes.

>> hello, i am james. abc news obtaining video of the suspected shooter, recorded when he was 18 at a summer science class held at a college in san diego. he is seen here standing in front of his peers, talking about what are called temporal illusions, the science behind changing your past. >> i have been working with a temporal illusion. it is an illusion that allows you to change the past. >> reporter: in the video he appears slightly nervous but also appears to be a smart teenager with promise. we are also learning more about the shooting suspect in more recent times. in just the last month, reportedly applying online to join a colorado gun rage. trying to become a member. the owner allegedly became concerned about the suspect after calling his house and hearing a phone message that the gun owner told the ap sounded bizarre, guttaral, freakish at best. the aurora police chief dan oates telling me his team is investigating this. >> we will chase down everybody this guy had any contact with. we will be as thorough as we can be. >> reporter: chief oates also describing the scene at the gunman's apartment, the delicate task for his team breaking through the traps.

>> you have never seen anything like that? >> i have never seen anything like that in my career. >> reporter: trip wires? >> there were two, as explain d explained -- one of them you can see with a trip wire involved mixing two chemicals to start an event. and the other one was a electronic triggering device that had to be blown up by a -- by the bomb experts to be deactivated. that was the boom you heard yesterday. >> reporter: and new pictures of the colorado field where investigators detonated what was found in the apartment as they tried to determine what kind of materials he had gathered there. david muir, abc news, aurora, colorado. >> meanwhile, james holmes is being remembered at his hometown church in san diego. his pastor says holmes was a young man with goals and a plan for his life. and he says, holmes came from your typical all-american family. the faithful at the church left behind notes of condolences for

the victims' families during sunday's services. colorado investigators are still pouring over the apartment where the suspect lived. and they are starting to piece together an outline of how the shooting unfolded. abc's pierre thomas has that part of the story. >> reporter: the plan to massacre a crowd of innocent victims in a movie was unfolding flawlessly. there was fear and chaos as james holmes fired again and again with an assault rifle, with a lethal drum magazine, holding 100 rounds. sources tell abc news, the smith & wesson, high-powered rifle, holmes' most deadly weapon jammed. the carnage could have been worse. more people survived, in part, sources say, because holmes was probably squeezing the trigger so quickly the magazine malfunctioned. holmes was ready for war. also armed with a tactical shotgun. and abc news has learned the pistol police recovered in the theater had an extended 40-round clip. police are urgently seeking a motive and may have gotten a critical break in the case.

authorities recovered a computer from the suspect's booby trapped apartment and sources tell us more evidence of his batman obsession. abc news has learned police discovered a variety of batman paraphernalia including a poster and mask from the comic book series. many of my sources appear stunned at the suspect's cold-blooded fury. pierre thomas, abc news, washington. >> gets you so angry, too, reports out of jail now he is showing absolutely no remorse through all of this. he is still maintaining his joker persona while in jail, spitting on guards. spitting on windows, absolutely no remorse whatsoever, what he has done. even now. and his court appearance, as we said, just hours away. >> his attorneys might waive the hearing. if he is transferred from jail to the courthouse, it is going to be in an underground tunnel so he won't be seen. so that video cameras can't capture that. yeah, it's, it's egregious to

think there were clues along the way, from the owner of the gun range who actually called him back up and said, was going to invite him back out. when he called and listened to his voice mail, he said he just got a sick feeling. and told all of his employees, "hey, if this guy comes in here. let me know." >> face to face wanted to meet him face to face. before he did anything. staggering too, some people question how he was getting the money. because what he -- 6,000 rounds of ammunition, 50 packages delivered to his home or school address in the past four months. this was how he was getting the money. he was -- through his school, some kind of grant. getting paid $2,200 a month for various things through the grant. that apparently how he was affording this huge, you know, stockpile of weapons and ammunition. >> obviously he didn't snap. this was premeditated. for a long time. >> for months. stay with abc news throughout the day for all the latest developments from aurora. later on, we'll hear from two best friends, actually who never thought they would see each other again after surviving

their gunshot wounds in the theater. that's coming up later in this half-hour. in our other major story this morning, the latest fallout at penn state strict penalties for the university's football program for burying child sex abuse allegations against jerry sandusky. yesterday the university removed a statue of former head coach, joe paterno, tried to do so a little covertly. see the fence up there. today the ncaa will announce sanctions. espn learned penn state is expected to be banned from bowl games for more than a year and lose a number of scholarships. >> he wants everybody to understand that an extraordinary situation such as this where egregious failure to action took place, that he will step up, that he will make a decision, that lets everyone understand that the penn state situation can never happen again. >> penn state is expected to face a hefty financial penalty. there is word that players will be given an option to transfer.

sobering new numbers show poverty in america rising to the highest level in 50 years. experts previewing census numbers due out before election day, say the official poverty rate is likely to rise from the current 15.1% to as high as 15.7%. that rate has not been seen since the mid '60s. among the reasons cited, the weak economy has simply left government safety nets in tatters. as aids experts from around the world meet in washington this week, the federal government is rolling out hiv tests that are done in neighborhood drug stores. two dozen pharmacies will take part in the tests from rural georgia to inner city chicago. patients, they will get results, free of charge. the cdc will train pharmacists on how to counsel patients while taking away the stigma of getting an hiv test. we did a report not too long ago there are a lot of people in the united states, especially globally that are living with aids and have no idea.

>> do not know it. get the test. it saves your life and potentially others. >> it is becoming convenient now. as we see. exactly. here is your monday forecast, everyone. hot and humid in the northeast. severe evening storms from boston to d.c. stormy, detroit to buffalo, northern new england. showers along the gulf coast. thunderstorms from des moines to chicago and in the southwest. and another scorcher in the plains, near 100 from colorado springs to dallas. mid 80s in the northeast. 67 in seattle. >> the annual hemingway days festival has wrapped up in key west, florida. the highlight, ernest hemingway look-alike contest. >> look at that. 140 of these gathered at sloppy joe's, one of literary giant's favorite haunts living in key west. north carolina investment north carolina investment banker greg fossette was the winner after competing ten times finally got it. >> fossette said he has a lot in common with hemingway, his love

for hunting, fishing, drinking, not writing. >> key west must be one of the coolest party spots in the country. >> have yobeen? >> i've avenue never -- i've never been. >> amazing. we took boats from naples to key west. thought i was going to die. a whole another subject. >> really? >> yeah. >> from something on the water. too much partying or what? >> long story. boat got stuck. >> boat got stuck. >> it ran aground. >> paula faris. glad you are here. glad you made it. >> had to go through about two feet of muck. got stung. it was bad. >> i will go back. >> you will go back. you know it is a fun place. coming up, the celebrity acts that really appeal to today's teens. >> later the two best friends who went to the movies friday and never thought they would see each other again. this is a remarkable story of survival and hope. you are watching "world news now." ♪ >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by -- y --

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president obama traveled to aurora to meet with the families of those killed in the colorado shooting. >> after more than 2 1/2 hours, the president emerged, spoke to the country, looking red-eyed and somber. also last night's memorial, colorado's governor hickenlooper offered words of comfort and healing. >> i am going to read 12 names. i would like, after i read each name, i would like to, you each to say together "we will remember." john blunk. we will remember. a.j. boik. >> we will remember. >> jesse childress. >> we will remember. >> gordon cowden. >> we will remember. >> jessica ghawi. >> we will remember. >> john larimer.

>> we will remember. >> matt mcquinn. >> we will remember. >> micayla medek. >> we will remember. >> veronica moser-sullivan. >> we will remember. >> alex sullivan. >> we will remember. >> alexander teves. >> we will remember. >> and rebecca wingo. >> we will remember. >> you can feel the emotion there in that crowd. you -- i watched the whole thing. before we went on the air tonight. it really was a moving service. the government put a nice touch, let's remember the victims, not mr. holmes. and tell their story and remember the innocent lives lost friday morning. >> i don't believe president obama ever called holmes by his name. he called him, the perpetrator, the gunman. >> he did not. >> the coward. whatever. he did not. >> he did not. the governor at one point during his remarks said "i am not going

to say his name." that got one of the biggest rounds of applause from the crowd. everyone is on the same page with them. >> as they later on, individual, as they said each of the victims' names they released balloon into the sky, which was a highly emotional moment as well. but our thoughts and prayers, and, one powerful thing that stood out, one of the heroes said, "i forgive holmes because forgiveness takes more power than revenge and bitterness." i don't know how anyone can find it in their heart to forgive. such an apropos statement. >> let's hope the town heals. ♪ apropos statement. >> let's hope the town heals. ♪ >> announcer: abc's

♪ skinny ♪ so skinny ♪ skinny ♪ so skinny >> welcome back, everybody to "the skinny." and on top of the sad news of the weekend. sad news from "the skinny," before we lighten the mood. we told you a few weeks ago about the situation involving usher's stepson involved in n t awful jet ski accident earlier this month.

the little boy did pass away over the weekend. usher's stepson kyle glover. the accident took place back on july 6th. in the water, a family friend no less, hit him on a jet ski. he had been in a coma quite some time. and did pass away i believe on saturday as well. now the investigation will continue, because the little boy is now passed away. the da is looking into what charges against the family friend may come down the road. also, more hollywood news -- and sage stallone, sylvester's son he was laid to rest saturday in l.a. 36 years old. of course, was found dead, inside of his home back on july 13th. toxicology, autopsy results are still pending in the case, just exactly why he died. early reports suggest drugs were involved in some kind of way. but again -- nothing official just yet. sad news from those, those two families. so we extend our thoughts and prayers to them both. sad stories both of them. >> tough transition. don't want to be irreverent.

the teen choice awards were -- last night. and we clearly are out of the loop. >> we are no longer teens. no, not at all. >> in teendom. big winners last night. taylor swift, justin bieber. taylor swift won, choice female artist, choice country song, choice movie voice. justin bieber won about everything. then, have you ever heard of one direction, the band. >> that's their song? >> yes. >> let's listen to a little -- ♪ nobody else the way that you >> we are out of touch. they won, for choice summer music star group, choice love song, which for what makes you beautiful. >> they won a lot. >> you know who else wins a lot. the "twilight" saga they have won 41 times at teen choice awards since 2008. i would like to admit that i have never seen any of the "twilight" movies. have you? >> you have seen jordan sparks. she won american idol season

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finally this half-hour, in the middle of heartbreak in colorado, a story of friendship. >> two young men seeing the batman movie together were shot together then prayed together. in the confusion the fear that they had lost one another for good. abc's david muir reports. >> good to meet you. how are you feeling? >> good, good. >> reporter: sitting in his hospital room, cary tells me about the moments in the movie theater with his best friend pierce when horror unfolded to. say the two had been there for each other was an understatement. he got married three weeks ago. pierce performed the ceremony. a few weeks later the two

friends were back together in the theater. his friend pierce hit first. >> i got down, put my arm over him and around him. we were just kind of tried to huddle as close as we could. and get as low as we could under the seats. >> reporter: holding his friend, cary then gets shot too. >> i'm like "pierce, i got shot. i'm hit." we were just, we were down there, praying. >> reporter: the two praying and then the firing stops. the gunman reloading. >> so full of adrenaline. i thought here is our chance just to get out. let's go. so, "pierce, pierce, let's go. let's go." >> reporter: he tugged at his friend trying to get him to move. he was motionless. >> the worst part was thinking my buddy passed away. he just married my wife and i three weeks ago. >> reporter: racing to the hospital he called his new wife. when did you get the call? >> right away. i think he called me in the cop car. so i right away. >> reporter: he told her he thought pierce didn't make it. that new wife got to work trying

to find pierce. and she did. at university hospital across town. we sent our camera. there he was remembering the best friend that tried to get him off the floor. >> i was just praying. my face was flat on the ground. my buddy started shaking me. he said, "pierce, come on, man, get up. we have got to go." he thought i died. >> reporter: the phone call from hospital to hospital, he will never forget. >> the was great to hear his voice. kind of wish you were here. >> reporter: the story of two friend who parade together on that floor and survived. >> we'll be recovering together that's for sure. david muir, abc news, aurora, colorado. >> the friend that married his other friend, said he was standing directly underneath the shooter could feel the boot against his head. laid there as still as he could. as he was firing off rounds. >> the president said something friday that really resonates with this story. he said, "our time here is limited, it is precious. what matters at the end of the day not the small things not the trivial things which so often consume us in our daily lives. ultimately it is how we choose to treat one another and how we love one another."

i think the story paints the picture so well.